The Part Human Clan
by Sakeraa
Summary: The forest will not be stained crimson with blood yet the Clans face slow extinction. The part human Clan will come, bringing both danger and the means to stop it. Two will meet three and together they will persuade the sixth to save the Clans...
1. Prologue

The night sky was like indigo velvet spattered with silver-white flecks, the moon like half an orb, sending light into the forest below, particularly a certain small pool. Five cats crouched at the waters edge, pelts turned silver. Fadedfur closed her eyes in reverence and touched her nose lightly to the cold water.

A chill shot through her from her nose to tail-tip. It was like ice, yet she didn't flinch. She opened her eyes and gasped softly. Before her stood StarClan, starlight highlighting their whiskers and shimmering on their pelts. She was still crouched at the waters edge at the moonpool, the other medicine cats on either side of her. She was puzzled. Why had StarClan not taken them to their forest like they usually did?

"Welcome," meowed a silvery tabby. It was Brookstar, ShadowClan's leader before Stonestar. The medicine cats stood and mewed quiet greetings. The faces of the StarClan cats were grave, sending a feeling of dread into Fadedfur's heart. StarClan would not gather all the medicine cats together unless there was a threat to all the Clans.

"I must warn you of the danger that soon you will face. Twolegs are coming to the forest with the intent to capture the Clans cats and take them away," meowed the tabby calmly. A collective gasp came from the medicine cats, Fadedfur glancing to one side at her companions.

"Brookstar, how can we stop them?" mewed Pepperpaw. The speckled black and white apprentice was young but very sharp. The she-cat closed her eyes and tilted her head back. When she spoke again it was in a whispery, rough tone.

"_The forest will not be stained crimson with blood yet the Clans face slow extinction. The part-human Clan will come, bringing both danger and the means to stop it. Two will meet three and together they will persuade the sixth to save the Clans…"_

Fadedfur's eyes snapped open. StarClan was gone and the others were stirring around her. They gazed at each other in horror, each of them repeating the prophecy in their minds. Slow extinction? Part-human Clan? Who was the sixth? Questions buzzed in Fadedfur's mind, yet there was no way to answer them…

* * *

She stared out the window glumly, blue eyes dull with boredom. She and her family were spending the summer at Sanctuary Cottage, volunteering to help tame the forest there. It was overrun with feral cats. Her family was going to be acting on behalf of the AFRP Trap-Neuter-Return program. They would trap the feral cats, drive them to the vet and have them fixed, then return them the next day. Her parents said it would be character-building and that it would help the family grow closer together. So far she was the only one, other then her mother and father, who was actually excited about the trip.

She glanced at her mother, who had her eyes on the road. She could hear Boney and Raja moving about restlessly in the backseat. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over the seat, careful not to disturb her sleeping siblings. The family owned eight cats, most of them rescued. She opened the oversized dog kennel and took out her two thirteen-week old kittens. Boney blinked at her and reached up to bat at her long golden hair. Raja squirmed from her grasp and landed on the floor. She smiled, placing Boney next to his sister. The two littermates, tails held high, began exploring the car. They were joined by their adopted sister, Jackie only minutes later. Sleepily the girl laid down, ignoring the three rambunctious kittens that had pounced on her toes and were proceeding to try and eat them. It was three in the morning and she was tired, even tired enough to sleep without a blanket. The whole long summer stretched before her. The whole long summer filled only with her eight cats and the rest of the feral forest. She smiled, closing her eyes. She couldn't wait to save those cats…


	2. Huge Kittypets

**Disclaimer: Warriors, the Clans and the forest belong to Erin Hunter. However, Bugpaw and Sierrapaw are mine. The kittypets are based off my own RL kittypets and thus belong to me!**

Bugpaw blinked open her eyes. Sunlight had warmed the apprentice's den, making it nearly impossible for the undersized tabby to sleep. Still, she tried to close her eyes and get at least a few more precious minutes of sleep. Her mentor, Sunriser, was taking her out battle training today and she was resolutely convinced that just one more blink of sleep would give her more energy.

Of course, the sun didn't seem to understand that. It had become to warm in the den to sleep, so Bugpaw stood and stretched. She was very small, even for six moons. She had a small, round body attached to her short tail and long, skinny legs. With her big eyes and small ears Bugpaw did indeed look like a bug. Even though this brought her a lot of teasing from her denmates, she tried to brush it off. She had been told she was going to grow and pan out to be shaped like a normal cat and she stuck to that belief. She wouldn't look like a bug forever!

"Hey, Bugpaw," mewed Sierrapaw, padding up behind her. "Some heat huh? This greenleaf is going to be a scorcher!"

Sierrapaw was only two moons older then Bugpaw. She was lean and had luxurious long tan fur with darker stripes. Bugpaw was a dark gray tabby with two white front paws and a white muzzle. Their eyes were green, though Bugpaw's were bright and wide whilst Sierrapaw's were pale. They looked and acted exactly opposite, though the two of them were best of friends.

Bugpaw wriggled her tail and pounced sideways onto Sierrapaw's back. The she-cat shrieked and rolled over, dislodging Bugpaw easily. She twisted around quickly and pinned Bugpaw to the ground with a paw.

"What was that for?" she mewed, eyes alight. Bugpaw purred and wriggled away. "Sunriser is going to take me battle training today!" she mewed excitedly.

"Great! Maybe Foxwhisker and I can join you. Is he isn't busy, that is." Sierrapaw glanced around for the ginger tom as she spoke. A silvery she-cat was padding with fresh-kill in her jaws. She paused for a moment and set the mouse down.

"Foxwhisker just left on a patrol, Sierrapaw. He won't be back until sunhigh," she meowed. Sierrapaw's face fell.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks, Silverwing," she mewed. Silverwing nodded and padded away. Bugpaw twitched her tail irritably.

"Foxwhisker needs to spend more time with you, Sierrapaw! You told me he hasn't taken you out for days!" she whispered. Sierrapaw shrugged. "He's just busy, that's all. Come on; let's go get something from the fresh-kill pile."

Bugpaw frowned but followed Sierrapaw to the pile. She could tell by the way her friend moved the prey around half-heartedly that Sierrapaw didn't have much of an appetite.

"Maybe Sunriser can take you with us?" she suggested, trying to cheer up her friend. Sierrapaw nodded, looking doubtful.

"Oh, there he is now! I'll go ask him if you can come. Be right back!"

She scampered across the clearing, long legs flailing in all directions. "Woah!" she cried, trying to skid to a stop. She nearly crashed into the nursery wall but Sunriser reached out and grabbed her scruff just before she made contact.

"Whew! Thanks, Sunriser! For a minute there I thought I would be stuck in camp all day fixing the wall!" she mewed, staring with wide eyes at her mentor. Sunriser purred.

"You need to stop running around everywhere! It wouldn't take forever to walk over to me!" meowed the orange and white tabby. She grinned.

"Can Sierrapaw come training with us, Sunriser? Please please please?" she mewed quickly. Sunriser hesitated.

"Can't Foxwhisker take her out?" he asked.

"Foxwhisker is on a patrol and won't be back until after sunhigh!"

He sighed. "I'm going on a hunting patrol in a minute, Bugpaw. I won't be back until after sunhigh, either." He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"But you said we would go battle training today!" she mewed, staring at him.

"I'm sorry. We'll have to go out when I get back," he mewed.

"Yeah, but then we won't have enough time to do battle training," she mumbled. She turned and padded away slowly. Sierrapaw looked up as she approached.

"He said no, didn't he?" she mewed anxiously. Bugpaw sat down. The pieces of fresh-kill were suddenly unappetizing.

"He's going on a hunting patrol and won't be back until after sunhigh," she mewed glumly. "I guess that means you and I are stuck cleaning out the elders den today."

Sierrapaw sighed. "But Stumblingpaw cleaned it out yesterday! Surely it doesn't need cleaning out again!" she moaned. Bugpaw grimaced.

"Maybe Stonestar will let us go on a patrol with somebody?" she wondered aloud. Sierrapaw shrugged. "It won't hurt to ask. Come on."

The pair trotted across the clearing to the medicine den where Stonestar, his deputy Steadystep and the medicine cat were talking in urgent whispers. Bugpaw reflected that Fadedfur had just returned from the half-moon meeting with StarClan.

"Stonestar!" mewed Sierrapaw, dipping her head slightly. The light gray tabby tom looked up from his discussion.

"Yes, Sierrapaw?" he growled.

"Bugpaw and I want to know if we can go hunting, like, on a patrol or something. There's nothing to do here and our mentors are out," she mewed hopefully.

Bugpaw nodded for emphasis.

"Right now we have all the patrols we need out. If you're needed, Steadystep will let you know. Stay in camp! If you go out without a warrior with you I'll want to know why," meowed the leader gruffly. In a gentler tone Steadystep meowed, "Why don't you take some fresh-kill to the queens? You can see Dovefeather's kits."

"Okay, Steadystep," sighed Sierrapaw. Her disappointment was evident. She turned and padded away, Bugpaw right beside her.

"I'm so bored! I'm tired of being in camp all day!" complained Sierrapaw. Bugpaw felt a pang of sympathy towards her friend. Foxwhisker hadn't taken her out for days. Her only opportunity to get out of camp was on the occasional patrols Steadystep sent her on. Bugpaw couldn't help but to wonder if Foxwhisker would even take her out when he got off his patrol. He didn't seem to care much for his apprentice at all.

As they left the nursery, Fiercepaw and his brother Cloudpaw were just returning from a patrol with their mentors. They dropped their prey on the fresh-kill pile and came over to join Bugpaw and Sierrapaw in front of the apprentice's den.

"The peat is beginning to dry up from all this heat!" observed Cloudpaw. Fiercepaw grinned and flicked Sierrapaw with his tail.

"Hey, you look down. Why not go enjoy some of the fresh-kill we caught for you?" he meowed maliciously. Bugpaw bristled at the dark brown tom.

"Yeah, Sierrapaw. After all, you've got nothing better to do then to hang around camp do you? When was the last time you were out? Leaf-bare?" added Cloudpaw. Sierrapaw snarled.

"Go away," she hissed. They obliged, laughing and glancing back at her as they stalked towards the elders den. Bugpaw tried to comfort her friend but Sierrapaw pushed her away.

"Maybe they're right," she sighed. "I can't do anything around here. Bugpaw's eyes went wide.

"Sierrapaw, it's not your fault Foxwhisker never takes you out!" she protested.

"What if Foxwhisker doesn't think I'm good enough to become a warrior?" Sierrapaw agonized. "What if he thinks it's a waste of his time to train me?"

"That's not true and you know it!" hissed Bugpaw. "We'll prove it! We'll go out and catch a bunch of fresh-kill ourselves!"

Sierrapaw stared at Bugpaw. "Stonestar told us not too!" she mewed. Bugpaw shrugged.

"Once he sees how much fresh-kill we can bring in, he won't complain. Then Foxwhisker will start taking you out again!"

Sierrapaw stared at the entrance to camp. "What if we get confined to camp?" she whispered. Bugpaw flicked her tail at Sierrapaw.

"We won't. Come on!" She stood and walked casually towards the entrance. "If anyone asks, we're going to make dirt!"

They padded out of camp unobtrusively. No one seemed to notice their quiet departure. Sierrapaw still seemed wary.

"This isn't a great idea…" she whispered. Bugpaw grinned. "Sure it is, Sierrapaw. We'll be fine, don't worry! Come on. Sunriser showed me how to catch a frog yesterday! I think they're tasty."

She bounded ahead, determined to get Sierrapaw's mind off of her worries. It seemed to work, because the tabby she-cat was tasting the air attentively, ears pricked and her tail held high.

"Near the twoleg nest is a great place to find all sorts of mice!" whispered Sierrapaw. "Have you ever been there before?" Bugpaw shook her head.

"It's okay. The twolegs have been gone since late leaf-bare. Follow me!"

They padded through the damp forest, Sierrapaw beginning to enjoy herself as time passed. Bugpaw sniffed the air.

"It smells funny here. Is this the twoleg nest?" she mewed to Sierrapaw. The tan she-cat seemed puzzled. "Yes, this is it but it smells different… stronger. Come on!"

They crouched down and crept towards the nest. They heard the squeals and yapping of the twolegs long before they actually saw anything. The nest was large, but instead of the quiet scene Bugpaw had always pictured, she saw chaos. Twolegs were everywhere, carrying large shiny black things with them into the nest. The kits were squealing and running around like they were on catmint or something.

"I thought you said the twolegs were gone!" hissed Bugpaw to Sierrapaw. Sierrapaw was staring in disbelief. "T-they were! They're back now! Come on! We have to get back to camp!"

"No, wait!" mewed Bugpaw. She had never seen twolegs before and she thought it was fascinating.

"Bugpaw, we have to go back and report it to Stonestar!" urged Sierrapaw.

"We should stay a few minutes longer… We should gather more information!" mewed Bugpaw. That seemed to convince Sierrapaw, so she sat and watched, her pelt prickling.

One of the twolegs carried a large thing that looked like it was made of shiny stone with holes in it. Pricking her ears, Bugpaw could hear the mewling of cats inside the rock.

"There are cats in there!" hissed Sierrapaw.

"We have to save them!" mewed Bugpaw in alarm. The twoleg set the rock on the ground and unfolded part of it. At once three kits jumped out.

"Kittypets!" hissed Sierrapaw.

More cats came out of the rock. Bugpaw felt her jaw drop. The kittypets were huge! They were twice as big as any cat Bugpaw had ever seen. Their coats shone in the warm sunlight… it was clear these kittypets didn't go wanting for food. One of them, the biggest of the bunch, stretched out, unsheathing his claws. They were the longest claws Bugpaw had ever seen. An orange-and-white tabby yawned, revealing sharp, white fangs. Bugpaw could feel Sierrapaw trembling beside her.

"We have to go back and warn Stonestar!" hissed her friend. Bugpaw nodded. She didn't want to stay a moment longer, not with those kittypets around. Sierrapaw turned and raced into the forest. Bugpaw took one last glance at the large kittypets, counting them.

"Eight," she mumbled, then took off after Sierrapaw.

**It's been proven that I update faster when I get reviews. I love to know what you think!**


	3. The Prophecy

**Sorry this took so long to update, but I have my muse back! I'm quite pleased with this chapter, actually. I love Bugpaw to itty bitty tiny crumbs. She's so cute!**

The pair skidded into camp, Sierrapaw just behind Bugpaw. The small gray tabby yelped, digging her claws into the yielding earth to keep from running into anything.

"Stonestar!" cried Sierrapaw. At once every cat in the clearing turned to look at her, making her flush. Stonestar glared at them from across the clearing. Even worse, Foxwhisker and Sunriser were there! Was it past sunhigh already?

"Where have you been?" demanded Steadystep, stalking towards the two apprentices. A flick of his tail told the Clan to return to its business, but Sierrapaw knew they still had an ear for the conversation… or rather, lecture. Foxwhisker was glaring at her with fury. _You were the one who refused to take me out! _she wanted to yowl.

"Do you realize I was just about to send a search patrol after you two?" demanded Steadystep. "Stonestar told you strictly not to leave camp and you deliberately disobeyed him. Why?"

Sierrapaw flinched. "W-we were going to go hunting… We didn't w-want to stay in camp all day!" she stammered. Foxwhisker hissed and she stumbled backwards, not meeting her mentors eyes.

"Stonestar, we have something important to tell you!" squeaked Bugpaw. The leader pricked his ears with mild interest.

"What?" he growled. Bugpaw gave Sierrapaw a sideways glance as if to say _You tell him! _Sierrapaw had to sigh at her rather immature friend.

"We went to the twoleg nest... The twolegs are back!" she mewed slowly. Stonestar jerked back as if clawed in the face. She thought that was an odd reaction. For the most part the twolegs left the Clan cats alone, or they had in the past.

"That's not the worst part!" blurted Bugpaw. "They brought kittypets with them!"

Foxwhisker snorted. "Kittypets are to soft to be any kind of threat," he mewed dismissively. Bugpaw shook her head.

"You didn't see these kittypets. They were huge! They were the size of LionClan cats! They were bigger then anything! And they had claws as long as the river is wide and teeth that could bite your head off!" exaggerated Bugpaw, bouncing around excitedly. "They could eat a hawk! They could bite a tree in half! They could-"

"We get it, Bugpaw," meowed Sunriser, flicking his tail over her mouth. She fell silent, though her eyes were still as huge as ever.

Stonestar wasn't looking at either of the apprentices, but at Fadedfur who had joined them, her eyes wide with fear. "We have to tell the Clan," meowed the medicine cat softly. Sierrapaw felt her fur prickling. She had the feeling that they were talking about more then the twolegs and kittypets, but Bugpaw clearly wasn't so insightful.

"Yeah! We should gather the whole Clan and drive them out! Tell them this is OUR territory!" cried the gray tabby excitedly.

"Yet if the kittypets are as huge as you say they are, sending the whole Clan to drive them out wouldn't be very wise, would it?" meowed Steadystep dryly. Bugpaw grinned sheepishly.

"Well… Maybe I was exaggerating a little," she admitted. "Tell them, Sierrapaw!"

Sierrapaw wasn't even listening. She watched Stonestar pad away to the Low Branch where he made his announcements. Ignoring Bugpaw's irritated mews, Sierrapaw followed, wanting to hear what her leader had to say.

"ShadowClan!" he yowled. "Gather here beneath the Low Branch for a Clan meeting!" His voice carried a hint of urgency that beckoned the Clan, though it wasn't the ceremonial words they were accustomed to hearing. Sierrapaw felt Bugpaw sit beside her, and Foxwhisker settling himself on her other side. The elders finally joined the rest of the Clan and Stonestar began to speak, his voice grave.

"Last night Fadedfur traveled to the Moonpool to share tongues with StarClan… and she received a disturbing prophecy."

Sierrapaw and Bugpaw exchanged a glance. StarClan had prophesied the arrival of the kittypets?

"They mentioned a danger from the twolegs that the Clans have never faced before… They said_ the forest will not be stained crimson with blood, yet the Clans face slow extinction..."_

It took a moment for the ominous words to sink in, then a long, piercing wail split the silence. Sierrapaw felt her heart beating faster then a newborn kit's. What could StarClan possibly mean? If blood would not be spilled…

"Fadedfur, did StarClan say how we could stop the twolegs?" cried Smallstream, raising his voice above the panicked mutterings of his Clanmates. Fadedfur paused, looking up at Stonestar before speaking.

"They said _the part human Clan will come, bringing both danger and the means to stop it. Two will meet three and together they will persuade the sixth to save the Clans…"_

Silence met the medicine cat's words.

"What does that mean?" demanded a hazy brown warrior named Tumbleweed. "What is a human?"

Fadedfur shook her head. "I do not know." she admitted. Sierrapaw gulped… None of StarClan's prophecy made sense! Two will meet three and they will make the sixth save the Clans? Who was the sixth?

"From now on," began Stonestar, calling the Clan to attention again. "Patrols will be much larger and less recent. No one is to go out alone and no one, _no one_ is allowed near the twoleg nest." He glared down at the Clan, daring them to challenge this. Of course, no one did. Stonestar swept his gaze over the clearing once more before calling the meeting to a close. The cats instantly grouped off, whispering urgently to one another. Sierrapaw caught only snatches of the conversations, but she could tell by the bristling pelts and wide eyes that they were as alarmed as she was by the terrifying prophecy.

"Whew! Can you believe we got out of that without any kind of punishment?" mewed Bugpaw. Sierrapaw couldn't help but feel amused; her young friend was living proof that ignorance was bliss.

"Don't think you're walking away from this, Bugpaw!" meowed a stern voice. Bugpaw flinched and turned to face her mentor.

"Well… sort of unpunished!" she mewed with a guilty grin. Sunriser gave her a displeased look and she fell silent.

"You're going to be caring for the elders every day for a quarter moon. You're not to go out of camp on any kind of patrol until every elder has been fed, had their bedding cleaned out and has been checked for ticks."

Bugpaw groaned, but a glitter in Sunrisers eye betrayed his affection for his apprentice. Sierrapaw smiled, feeling a sharp stab of jealousy. Looking around, she saw Foxwhisker speaking with Steadystep. Her heart wrenched with pain… It was like her mentor had forgotten her already… Next to her, Bugpaw was complaining about her punishment, but Sierrapaw knew she would cut off her whiskers to have Foxwhisker punish her, if it only meant he would acknowledge her existence…

**Wonder what's up with Foxwhisker? -evil laugh- **

**Free Bugpaw-shaped cookies to anyone who reviews! **


	4. Training Gone Bad

**M'kay, finally updating! Don't you love my chapter titles? I think they're cheesy. -grins- **

**Bugpaw cookies to Tommi Girl, who was the only one to review my story. xD This isn't my best-written chapter, but the storyline is good. -pokes writers cramp- Anyways, R&R**

"You have to bring your paws all the way up to your chest like this," meowed Foxwhisker, demonstrating. "That way they won't brush the ground and alert the mouse."

Bugpaw and Sierrapaw were out training with Foxwhisker. Sunriser had to go on a patrol until sunset and couldn't take Bugpaw out for training, so she and Sierrapaw had convinced Foxwhisker to take them out instead. Two sunrises had passed since Stonestar's announcement of the prophecy and nothing notable had happened, at least not that Bugpaw had noticed. The patrols still seemed tense when they searched the territory, but Bugpaw was beginning to become bored with the excitement.

"Have either of you ever caught a squirrel before?" asked Foxwhisker suddenly. Bugpaw shook her head vigorously but Sierrapaw tilted her head to one side.

"We rarely find squirrels on our territory. RiverClan and ThunderClan are more likely to catch squirrels, aren't they?" she asked curiously. Foxwhisker flicked his ears. "Yes, but occasionally we find squirrels inside our borders. And they're tasty! Let's see you try, Bugpaw," meowed the ginger tom, pointing with his muzzle to a squirrel that was sitting at the trunk of a large pine tree.

"Step lightly and stay downwind!" hissed Foxwhisker, but she was already stalking stealthily towards the bushy-tailed creature. Downwind… _Wait a second, I'm not downwind_! The squirrel looked up suddenly, catching Bugpaw's scent. Before she could take action, the prey shot up the nearest tree. With a growl of frustration, Bugpaw bounded after it, ignoring the shout from Foxwhisker. She quickly climbed the tree, her long legs carrying her easily up the trunk. Panting, she clambered onto the lowest branch and looked around for the squirrel. Only then did she hear Sierrapaw laughing.

"Bugpaw, the squirrel jumped into another tree!" called Sierrapaw. Flushing, Bugpaw slithered down to the ground.

"You're never going to catch a squirrel like that," meowed Foxwhisker gruffly. "Next time pay more attention to…" He trailed off, sniffing the air.

"Smells like ThunderClan!" hissed Sierrapaw suddenly. Bugpaw whirled around, expecting to see intruders, but she saw nothing. The ThunderClan scent was faint, coming from the direction of ThunderClan territory.

"It's just from the borders, silly," mewed Bugpaw, batting at her friend's ears. Sierrapaw pulled away, looking irritated.

"No! I smelled a ThunderClan cat!" she insisted.

"It was probably nothing, Sierrapaw," meowed Foxwhisker. "But I'm going to go renew the scent markers on our side of the border, just in case."

"We'll come with you!" mewed Bugpaw brightly, tail shooting up into the air. She was surprised to see Foxwhisker shaking his head.

"No, you two hunt for a few minutes, we have to go back to camp soon and I don't want to return without prey."

Bugpaw exchanged a glance with Sierrapaw. "But Foxwhisker, nobody's supposed to go out alone, let alone…" Sierrapaw began, but she was cut off by a flick of Foxwhisker's tail. "Go on!" he hissed. Bugpaw shrugged and trotted into the undergrowth, Sierrapaw following after only a moment's hesitation.

"Bugpaw, do you think Foxwhisker is acting strange lately?" mused Sierrapaw as the pair of apprentice's wandered aimlessly, not even caring to hunt.

"Well, he doesn't seem to be giving heed to Stonestar's orders, that's for sure!" Bugpaw replied, sniffing a fern. "Do you think he _wants_ to get eaten by oversized kittypets?"

Sierrapaw purred with amusement. "Is it any wonder why I spend so much time with you?"

Bugpaw tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?

"Well, it's just impossible to be upset when you're-"

Bugpaw cut her off, tail fluffing up to twice its normal size. "I smell intruders!" she hissed. She could smell cats that weren't from any of the Clans… They smelled of twoleg! Bugpaw heard Sierrapaw gasp behind her.

"The kittypets!" mewed the tan she-cat. Bugpaw froze as the brush in front of her rustled and the kittypets appeared – The three kittens they had seen on their first expedition to the twoleg nest. She was relieved to realize that they were alone… and they were smaller then Sierrapaw and herself. She dropped instinctively into a crouch and growled deep in her throat, preparing to chase the kits away. Beside her, she felt Sierrapaw do the same. The kits's eyes flew wide and they instantly turned tail, a pitiful wailing coming from a young solid black kit. Bugpaw flew after them, keeping her claws carefully sheathed. These kits were barely old enough to leave the nursery! Simply being chased away would keep them from wander to far into the forest, she hoped. She lost sight of the kittypets as they ran around a bush, towards the twoleg nest.

"Bugpaw, stop!" yowled Sierrapaw, just as Bugpaw rounded the bush. A new scent filled her nostrils and she tried to stop, her paws flying everywhere. She felt Sierrapaw's teeth in her scruff just before she ran into the big, black kittypet.

The kittens they had been chasing cowered behind the black cat, their eyes huge. Bugpaw swallowed, backing up several pawsteps. She heard Sierrapaw gasp and whirled around in time to see two more kittypets round the bush. One was a lean orange and white tabby, the other a normal-sized cat, a gray tabby with no tail. The tabby gasped and rushed past Bugpaw and Sierrapaw to the young kittens they had been chasing.

"Are you three okay?" she meowed, covering them in licks. The orange and white tom strode forward, looking curiously at the ShadowClan apprentices. Bugpaw desperately tried to remember all the fighting moves Sunriser had taught her. Why hadn't she paid more attention in training?

"Wildcats!" hissed the black tom. Sierrapaw hissed and flattened her ears at the two cats whose attention was focused on her and Bugpaw. Bugpaw could only tremble, admiring her friend's courage. The black cat drew back his lips in a menacing snarl and, much to Bugpaw's horror, unsheathed his long black claws.

"What do we do, Manks?" meowed the tabby tom. He didn't show any signs of aggression, only interest.

"They're just kits. They can't be older then Boney and Raja," mewed the she-cat, looking up from her kits. Manks, the black cat, narrowed his eyes as a growl rose from Sierrapaw's throat.

"Get out of here," he hissed, flattening his ears. "And don't you come back. If you ever threaten any of my cats again, I'll slice you open."

Bugpaw was quick to comply, though she felt a stab of indignation. She was being chased out of her own territory! But she didn't voice her displeasure; she merely turned tail and ran out of the clearing, Sierrapaw right beside her.

Bugpaw would have gladly ran until she arrived at camp, but Sierrapaw slowed and stopped, spitting furiously. Bugpaw halted, turning to her friend with wide eyes.

"I can't believe we're running from a bunch of kittypets!" hissed Sierrapaw, eyes ablaze. Bugpaw shrugged. "I'd rather run then get cut to shreds," she mewed reasonably. Sierrpaw didn't seem to hear, pacing back and forth angrily. "We're Clan cats, we shouldn't have to run away! Why can't those kittypets just be soft, like all kittypets are supposed to be?"

She didn't wait for an answer, simply mumbled something under her breath then took off towards camp. Bugpaw raced after her, feeling a little bewildered at her friends behaivor.

They burst into camp, surprised to find the whole clan watching them as if they had been expecting their arrival.

"Bugpaw! Sierrapaw!" hissed Stonestar, stalking purposefully up to them. Bugpaw saw that Foxwhisker was there, staring at his paws with his ears slightly flattened. He looked up, relief in his eyes when he saw the two apprentices.

"You'e okay!" he meowed, running up and covering them both in licks. Bugpaw crouched down, alarmed at Foxwhisker's behavior. Had something happened while she and Sierrapaw were on their adventure? She looked anxiously up at Stonestar, but the leader looked livid.

"Do you two enjoy disobeying orders?" he thundered, glaring at them. She felt Sierrapaw stiffen.

"What do you mean?" demanded Bugpaw's friend.

"You were told not to wander off on your own! You were to stay with your mentor!" he hissed. Bugpaw almost hissed back at him… Foxwhisker had told them to '_go off on their own'! _She looked at the ginger tomcat for support, but he wasn't looking at either apprentice. Stonestar turned away, his tail lashing from side to side angrily.

"We thought you had disappeared." His voice had grown softer, with a touch of regret in it. Bugpaw glanced at Sierrapaw, then at the rest of her Clanmates. Their faces were grave and for the first time, she realized her mentor, Sunriser wasgone, though he should have been back already.

"What's happened?" asked Sierrapaw. Her friend was also gazing around at the Clan. It was Steadystep who answered their question after a tense moment of silence.

"Sunriser and Spottedlilly have gone missing," meowed the deputy slowly. "We think the twolegs had something to do with it."

Bugpaw felt like she had been hit by something. Sunriser was missing? She shook her head and took a step back. Sunriser was her best friend, aside from Sierrapaw. Their mentor-apprentice bond was stronger than most. She darted past Steadystep and raced to the warriors den, calling the red and white tom's name desperately. But there was no answer. Fadedfur tried to soothe her, but she pushed the medicine cat away with a yowl. Sunriser was gone!

**I think I love writing cliffys. Next chapter is going to be really cool, so be sure to watch for it! Bobblehead Stonestar's to all my reviewers!**


	5. New Friends

**Mwhaha. That didn't take me long, did it? This is my favorite chapter... so far.**

**-gives bobblehead to Tommi Girl-**

"Bugpaw!" hissed Sierrapaw, stepping lightly and casting frequent glances over her shoulder. "Bugpaw, wait!"

But Bugpaw didn't stop; she plunged forward and disappeared behind a pine bush. Sierrapaw had to let out a hiss of frustration. "Mouse-brain!" she muttered, hurrying to catch up. It was two days after Sunriser and Spottedlilly had gone missing. After being fed some thyme, Bugpaw had managed to get a good nights rest and she had been recovering pretty well. At least, Sierrapaw hoped she had been recovering well. Foxwhisker was suddenly trying to make up for his inexcusable lack of training lately and he'd taken Sierrapaw out each day. She went to sleep with sore paws both nights and she'd been too exhausted to converse with her friend. She had seemed to be okay though, at least, she was acting like her normal crazy self.

"Bugpaw!" Sierrapaw growled, racing to overtake her friend. Bugpaw finally stopped, her wide green eyes full of uncharacteristic seriousness.

"I'm not taking another step until you tell me why we just snuck out of camp against orders _again_!" she meowed firmly. Bugpaw's tail twitched for a moment, then she seemed to calm down.

"I think I know how to find Sunriser and Spottedlilly!" mewed Bugpaw, her eyes glowing. Sierrapaw shook her head. "How?" she asked. Bugpaw walked past Sierrapaw, flicking her tail for her friend to follow.

"I've been thinking about something one of the kittypets said," she mewed slowly. "The big black one. He said 'If you ever threaten any of my cats again, I'll slice you open'."

Sierrapaw waited, but Bugpaw seemed to like the suspense the silence was creating. "So?" she demanded impatiently. "What does that have to do with Sunriser and Spottedlilly?"

Bugpaw threaded her way through a fallen pine branch, contemplating her answer. "It just seemed odd, the way he said it. He didn't say "My family" or "My kits" he said "My cats". Kind of like a leader would say "My warriors". The other tom, he said "What should we do, Manks?" The she-cat said-"

"Just get to the point!" mewed Sierrapaw impatiently. Bugpaw loved to draw her stories out. The younger apprentice stopped, her eyes shining. "I think the kittypets are a Clan all on their own, Sierrapaw! A different kind of Clan then ours, of course, but the way they addressed Manks… I think he's the leader, or maybe the deputy."

Sierrapaw began walking again, considering Bugpaw's words. "Maybe so, but how does that help us find Sunriser and Spottedlilly?"

Bugpaw hurried to take the lead. "They're kittypets… They live with the twolegs. Maybe they know what the twolegs did with our Clanmates. If they're a Clan themselves, maybe they would respect our concern for the missing cats and help us find them. The three kits we chased, maybe they could be persuaded to help us!"

Sierrapaw shook her head, amazed that Bugpaw had actually figured this all out. Even more amazed that it made sense. "So we've taken off to find the three young kittypets? Afterwhat Manks said?"

Bugpaw grinned. "Yep!" Then she took off into the woods, towards the twoleg house.

"Mouse-brain!" hissed Sierrapaw. Then she sighed. "Doesn't she remember what happened last time we were running around this place?

* * *

The pair glanced around warily as they drew closer to the twoleg nest. Sierrapaw was suddenly remembering just how long and sharp Manks' claws were. If they were caught by the kittypets there was no telling what Manks would do. Bugpaw scented the air again. "This is no use!" she muttered. "They must be inside the nest!" Sierrapaw had to agree. Their Clan would have noticed by now that the two apprentices were gone. What would they tell Stonestar this time? Why had Bugpaw's brilliant plan not been backed up in case it failed? She sighed. The answer to the last question was obvious.

"Come on, let's get home," mumbled Bugpaw at last. "Stonestar's going to kill us for sure."

Sierrapaw shrugged and padded after her friend. She was beginning to realize just how close Bugpaw had been to her mentor. It was a little hard to comprehend, after all, Foxwhisker just saw his apprentice as a duty he had to fulfill. She sighed, willing herself to keep her tail up optimistically. May she was just imagining Foxwhisker's… Her train of thought ended abruptly as a familiar smell wafted around her.

"Bugpaw!" she hissed. Bugpaw stopped too, eyes growing wide as she recognized the smell. It was the kittypets! But they had no idea if it was the three kittypets they were searching for or the big, hostile ones. There was a rustle in the undergrowth and out popped… the three young kittypets. Sierrapaw sighed in relief, then tensed up again as she saw the unsheathed claws and bristling fur. The kittypets were about to attack! She knew she didn't really have anything to fear… she was trained as a warrior! But she and Bugpaw hadn't come to fight.

She crouched down, glancing at her friend to make sure she did the same. _Great,_ she thought. _I'm submitting myself to_ kittypets _now._

The kittens seemed hesitant for a moment, then lost their aggressive stance. Sierrapaw sized them up carefully. The one who seemed to be leading the group was a black-and-white tom about the same size as Sierrapaw. He had yellow-green eyes and large snow-white paws. The second was a beautiful tortoiseshell-and-white cat with amber eyes. Her tail was still fluffed out and she was trembling, obviously afraid. The third was smaller then the other two, Sierrapaw guessed she was at least a moon younger then them. She was solid black with large amber eyes. Sierrapaw noticed her whiskers were short, as if they had been chewed off and had not fully grown back.

"What are you doing back here?" asked the tom kittypet warily. "Manks told you to stay away."

Sierrapaw glanced at Bugpaw who had her tail touching the ground and her ears slightly flattened. "We came to ask for your help," mewed her friend. Sierrapaw looked back at the tom, who narrowed his eyes.

"With what?" he asked.

"Finding some of our friends," blurted Sierrapaw. "We think you may know what happened to them." She paused and took a deep breath. "We think your twolegs had something to do with them disappearing."

"Twolegs?" echoed the tortoiseshell. She no longer looked afraid, just wary.

"They must mean our housefolk!" mewed the black cat, her eyes lighting up. "Their friends must be the cats-" She was silenced by a hiss from the tom.

"I didn't think the wildcats had any friends…" mewed the tortoiseshell slowly. "Sonic said you just ran around catching mice like-"

"Yes! Wait, we do have friends!" interrupted Bugpaw. "You see, we live in a Clan! We work together to find food and take care of each other." She hesitated before adding, "Like you."

The kittypets glanced at each other. "Really?" mewed the tom, his voice no longer wary, but curious. The apprentices nodded. _Bugpaw was right! They did live as a Clan!_

"Wow!" mewed the little black she-cat. "So you all hunt mice together? This whole forest is yours?" She sounded awed.

"Not exactly," admitted Sierrapaw. "There are four Clans in the forest. We each have our own territory to hunt on. We have to defend ourselves from the other Clans."

They definitely had the kittypets attention now, so Sierrapaw continued.

"My Clan, ShadowClan, lives here, in the darkest part of the forest. RiverClan rules the territory by the streams and grassy meadows. WindClan lives on the moors and ThunderClan lives in the forest. For the most part we live peacefully, but sometimes one of the Clans will break onto our territory. So we have to send out patrols to keep our borders safe."

"And every full moon, the four Clans come together on the island to share news with each other," added Bugpaw excitedly. "That's called a gathering."

"The next gathering is not far," mewed Sierrapaw tactfully. "But the only news ShadowClan will have to share is how two of our Clanmates went missing."

The kits glanced at each other in alarm.

"Do you know what happened to our Clanmates?" asked Bugpaw softly. Her bright green eyes were wide and pleading. Slowly the tom nodded. "Yes," he mewed. "I think I do. Come with us, we'll show you."

He turned and padded into the forest, Bugpaw and Sierrapaw quick to hurry after them.

"My name is Boneleg," the tom mewed as they headed towards the nest. "This is Jackie and the calico up ahead is Raja."

"Calico?" mewed Bugpaw. Boneleg glanced at her. "Calico is the word for a tortoiseshell-and-white cat," he explained.

"Well, I'm Bugpaw and this is Sierrapaw," mewed Bugpaw brightly.

"Strange names!" chirped Jackie. Sierrapaw laughed. "We're apprentices," she explained. "All apprentice names end in 'paw'. When we become warriors our names will change to something different."

"That's kind of weird," mewed Boneleg slowly. "What will your names change to?"

Sierrapaw shrugged. "Our leader gets to choose our warrior name. It could be Bugtail or Bugflight or Sierrastrike or something. Your name is kind of like a warrior name," she added to Boneleg. "You could be Bonepaw right now, and then earn the name Boneleg when you're done with training."

Boneleg grinned. "Well, everyone mostly just calls me Boney. I'm named because my front legs are all white."

"Shhh!" hissed Raja suddenly. She sniffed the air carefully. "Manks is around somewhere. If he finds we're escorting you to the house, we'll be in big trouble. Come with me."

They fell silent and followed the calico she-cat towards the nest. Finally it came into view, a large structure made of strangely shaped stones. The tail-less she-cat they had encountered two days before lay lazily in the sunlight, next to a snowy white and orange tom that was licking his paws and grooming his ears. They avoided them and skirted the side of the nest until Boney stopped them.

"Look up," he urged. "See the window?"

Sierrapaw looked up and saw a shiny hole in the side of the nest. _That must be the window, _she thought.

"It's closed right now, but the windows on this house are easy to open. You can just grasp the catch in your teeth and pull it sideways. Inside there are cats in cages. They might be your Clanmates," meowed Raja tersely.

Sierrapaw gulped. This was more dangerous then she had imagined. She was going inside a twoleg nest! Bugpaw seemed equally apprehensive, but determined.

"How do we get up there?" she whispered. Jackie signaled with her tail for them to follow and ran to the other side of the house, where the two adult kittypets were. Slowly, the others followed. Staying out of sight, Jackie showed them how to jump onto a strange-shaped bush and onto a ledge on the wall.

"The ledge stops just before reaching the window, so you'll have to jump to the windowsill. There's only room enough for one cat at a time, though."

Sierrapaw trembled. So many words she didn't know! She tried to picture what Jackie was saying in her mind, but her thoughts were so jumbled up she couldn't make sense of anything. She would have to play it by pawstep, she supposed. She cautiously jumped onto the bush, then on the ledge. Bugpaw was not far behind. The ledge was narrow, but easy enough to balance on. Checking to make sure she had not been spotted by the older kittypets, Sierrapaw slowly made her way to the corner. She tried not to look down, though she knew Boney, Raja and Jackie were watching from below.

Jackie was right – The ledge stopped just a fox-length away from the window. The window, she noticed, was set into the wall so there was a very, very narrow space where a cat could stand. _If one of us falls off that window, we could get hurt…_ thought Sierrapaw uneasily.

"Okay," she mewed softly to Bugpaw. "I'll go over there and open the window, then you can-"

"No, wait!" exclaimed Bugpaw. "My legs are longer then yours, and I'm smaller. I should go first and open the window."

Sierrapaw stared over her shoulder at her friend. She didn't want to give the more dangerous assignment to the younger apprentice, but she could see Bugpaw's point.

"Okay," she whispered slowly. "But how are you going to get in front of me?"

Bugpaw stared around wildly. "Let's back up a few paces…" she mewed. They walked backwards until Bugpaw had nearly rounded the corner. "Okay, the corner is a little bit wider then the rest of this ledge… Maybe we can get around each other here."

Sierrapaw stood on the very edge of the corner, trying hard not to look down. Bugpaw slid her paws carefully along the side and tried to wriggle past the tan she-cat. Sierrapaw felt herself wobble dangerously as Bugpaw's pelt brushed hers. She unsheathed her claws but could get no grip on the unyielding stone. Bugpaw crouched down till her belly was touching the ground and slid forward carefully.

"I'm past!" she gasped, beginning to rise.

"No you're not!" cried Sierrapaw. Too late. Bugpaw bumped into Sierrapaw and she flew wildly off the ledge, yowling. She thought for sure she was going to plummet to the earth, but she somehow got a hold of the ledge.

"Sierrapaw!" wailed Bugpaw, reaching down and clutching Sierrapaw's paw in her mouth. Sierrapaw felt pain as the small gray tabby's teeth dug into her paw, but she did not cry out. Slowly Bugpaw began pulling her friend up, Sierrapaw scrabbling with her back paws against the stone. Then she looked down.

"Oh, StarClan!" she hissed, feeling dizzy. Boney, Raja and Jackie circled below her, staring anxiously up. She squeezed her eyes shut as Bugpaw, with a final tug, pulled her to safety. They lay there for a moment, panting heavily. Sierrapaw was relieved to feel solid ground beneath her once again. Then a dreaded sound reached her ears.

"What's going on over here?"

Bugpaw and Sierrapaw looked down at the ground. The tail-less tabby and her orange-and-white friend had come to see what all the yowling was about. Sierrapaw jerked back as the tom looked up at the ledge curiously. Her heart pounded against her chest. Had he seen them?

"We were just playing, Jamie!" Sierrapaw heard Jackie meow. "I accidentally fell off the tall bush, but I'm okay, really."

A tense silence followed. Sierrapaw could hear only the pounding of blood in her ears, but she did not dare look down again. She pressed herself against the wall, hoping she was invisible to the stranger cats. Finally, with a rush of relief, she heard the tom growl "Be careful, you three. Don't make me drag you into the house."

They waited for a minute longer, then heard Boney call up to them.

"It's okay guys! They're gone. Sierrapaw, are you all right?"

She sighed and stood shakily. "I am now!" she called down to them. "We're going to the window now!"

This time Bugpaw led the way to the edge, tail straight up into the air for balance. Sierrapaw tried to stop shaking, fearful of looking down. She knew Bugpaw wouldn't be able to catch her if she fell again.

Bugpaw crouched and wriggled her haunches, without taking a moment to measure the distance. She leaped easily to the windowsill and landed without effort. Sierrapaw sighed with relief. Then the lithe gray tabby clutched the catch, just as Raja had told her, and began to pull sideways. Sierrapaw held her breath, noticing how close Bugpaw's paws were to the edge of the sill. There was a dull cracking noise and the window came open.

"Bugpaw!" cried Sierrapaw. Her friend had lost her balance and was swaying from side to side on the narrow sill. Sierrapaw glanced down. Boney was on his hind legs, his paws raised, ready to catch the gray tabby if she fell. But Bugpaw leapt shakily into the open window, just before she would have fallen. Sierrapaw felt her legs tremble. Bugpaw was okay!

Now it was her turn.

She rocked from side to side, willing herself not to look down. She found that it was surprisingly easy to leap into the window, now that it was open.

Inside the nest was dark and smelly. It stank of twolegs and a scent that made Sierrapaw's belly churn. What had her new friend told her to do once they were inside? She struggled to remember. Bugpaw had leapt easily to the soft ground and was sniffing the air warily.

"What is that smell?" she murmured. Sierrapaw shrugged and jumped to the floor as well. It smelled of cats, she suddenly realized. Cat scent was what she and her friend was smelling, yet it was different… somehow changed.

There were large blocks covered by some kind of twoleg lichen. She avoided them, searching for the cats that were creating the rank scent.

"Sunriser!" Bugpaw cried suddenly. Sierrapaw whirled around and looked for the red and white tom, but she saw nothing. Bugpaw was tugging at the twoleg lichen determinedly.

"Sierrapaw, help me!" she wailed through the cloth. Bewildered, Sierrapaw bounded forward and took a mouthful of the strange lichen. It tasted of foul twoleg scent and she choked, but tugged harshly.

With both of the apprentices pulling, the lichen was easily removed. It fell to the ground, revealing a shiny web den… with a cat inside!

"Sunriser!" gasped Sierrapaw.

Bugpaw raced forward and pressed herself to the shiny web. "Sunriser!" she cried happily, purring. "You're alive!"

The tom was curling into a ball. He raised his head sleepily and blinked slowly. "Bugpaw?" he meowed groggily. Bugpaw nodded vigorously. "Yes, Sunriser! Its me! We're here to rescue you!" she mewed in a high-pitched voice.

"Bugpaw?" called a she-cats voice from across the nest. Sierrapaw whirled around.

"Spottedlilly?" she cried, trying to decide which one of the lichen-covered dens held her other Clanmate.

"I'm over here!"

Sierrapaw raced to the corner and grasped the lichen in her teeth, giving it a pull. It came off easily, revealing the white-and-gray warrioress.

"Spottedlilly!" mewed Sierrapaw, touching noses with the she-cat through the shiny web. Spottedlilly did not seem as groggy as Sunriser did. Bugpaw's mentor was standing, but his legs shook horribly.

"I'm not sure I'm okay…" he was mumbling.

"But you have to be!" cried Bugpaw, who was pacing outside his cage anxiously. Sierrapaw realized the Clan cat's scents were different. The smell that made her gag was coming from the shiny web dens. Something had happened to her Clanmates!

She turned to Spottedlilly, trying to figure out how to open the den that held her. They would bring the warrior's home and they would recover… Surely they would recover!

Sierrapaw's fur stood on end suddenly. There was the sound of loud, pounding pawsteps outside the den! Twolegs! She desperately clawed at the web.

"Get out of here, you two!" hissed Spottedlilly. Sunriser had fallen down.

"We're not leaving you guys!" cried Bugpaw, chewing on the shiny web that held her mentor captive. Sierrapaw shook her head, giving Spottedlilly a desperate look

"We'll come back!" she told the she-cat. "We'll get you out of here."

"Go!" yowled Spottedlilly. Sierrapaw turned and raced to Bugpaw. "Come on!" she panted, pushing the little gray tabby.

"Sunriser!" cried Bugpaw. "I'm not leaving him!"

A part of the wall unfolded, a bright harsh light made Sierrapaw squint. A twoleg was silhouetted in the light. Two of them! The smaller one let out a surprised squeal and raced towards the Clan cats. Sierrapaw froze in fear, her heart thudding against her ribs. The twolegs were going to capture them!

**I think I'm cliffy-happy. Sierrapaw shaped crayons to whoever reviews! Plus, reviews make me update faster.**


	6. Rescue Mission

**Guess what? I'm baack! And so are Bugpaw and Sierrapaw! I haven't written this story for a long time, but I read Dark River the other day and it gt me interested in Warriors again, so here I am, writing just like in the good ol' days. Enjoy!**

A sharp cry rang through the air, coming from the second twoleg who still stood in the light. The smaller twoleg stopped abruptly. Something exploded in Sierrapaw's brain and she turned, nearly colliding with Bugpaw.

"Run!" she gasped. Bugpaw didn't hesitate. They raced to the small window, jumping on some of the still-covered dens to reach it. Sierrapaw led the way, balancing on the narrow windowsill. She jumped to the ledge and ran, clinging to the wall. They jumped down the bush and streaked to the tree line, fur bristling. They didn't stop once they reached the forest; Sierrapaw could only just imagine that the twolegs were still behind them, ready to stick them in one of the cages just like they had done to her Clanmates.

"Wait!" panted Bugpaw, stopping. Her heart pounding, Sierrapaw whirled about to face her friend. "Run!" she repeated. Bugpaw shook her head. "The twolegs aren't chasing us anymore," she mewed. Sierrapaw shook her head, trying to clear it. The twolegs weren't chasing them anymore. They were safe. Her breathing slowed to normal, though her heart still pounded.

Bugpaw's short tail lashed side to side in agitation. "We couldn't get them out!" she murmured, her green eyes dark with sadness. Sierrapaw felt a pang of sorrow for her friend, but before she could reach out to comfort her, there was a rustling in the brush. Sierrapaw hissed, her fur standing on end. The twolegs! She tuned to face the large creatures, but found herself staring into a familiar pair of eyes.

"Foxwhisker!" she gasped. Her mentor and three other cats emerged from the thick undergrowth.

"Sierrapaw, Bugpaw," growled the russet-colored tom. "Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for you?"

The two apprentices's exchanged glances.

"This is the third time – _the third time –_ you've gone missing in a quarter moon. After Stonestar gave us all direct orders_ not to wander from camp_! I hope whatever you've been doing has been worth it, because this is the last time you're going to see outside of camp for at least a moon!"

Sierrapaw felt her tail hit the ground. "But, Foxwhisker!" she protested. "We were-"

"There is no adequate explanation for your behavior!" snarled Whiteriver angrily.

"You have to listen!" cried Bugpaw. "We found Sunriser and Spottedlilly!"

Silence greeted this remark. Shock registered on the faces of the three cats. Sierrapaw felt a glimmer of hope.

"The twolegs are holding them in some kind of den inside their nest!" she told them breathlessly.

"We tried to get them out, but we got chased by twolegs!" added Bugpaw. Foxwhisker had a dazed look on his face.

"You were inside a twoleg nest?" said Fiercepaw, sounding slightly awed. "And you escaped?"

Despite herself, Sierrapaw felt a twinge of pleasure. Maybe Fiercepaw wouldn't have the heart to tease her after this.

"Sunriser and Spottedlilly – Are they okay?" demanded Whiteriver. Spottedlilly was his mate.

"I think so…" whispered Sierrapaw. The memory of the sickly sweet scent that clung to the trapped cats made her wrinkle her nose. "I don't know…"

His face showed alarm. "We have to tell Stonestar."

They shot through the forest as fast as rabbits. Sierrapaw realized she was terribly tired. The day's events had clearly taken their toll. She tried to clear a log but her paws glanced off of it and she crashed to the forest floor, her paws throbbing.

"Sierrapaw!" Bugpaw rushed to her side.

"I'm okay," she protested, getting back up. Her paws still hurt but the pain was fading fast. They continued, but at a walk. The others went ahead. By the time the two apprentices arrived at camp, it was evident that Whiteriver told them what had happened. All eyes were on Bugpaw and Sierrapaw as they made their way to where Stonestar stood.

"Tell me what happened," he said as soon as they were in a reasonable distance. Sierrapaw sat on her haunches, wanting nothing more than to crawl into her den and go to sleep. She glanced up at the sky, which was darkening. The first StarClan warriors were beginning to dot the sky. She closed her eyes and began to retell the story. She left out the part where they had enlisted the kittypet's help. She knew her Clnmates would not approve in the slightest. Beside her, Bugpaw fidgeted.

Once the story was finished – it didn't take long, Sierrapaw hurried through it as fast as she could - a dead silence filled the camp. Stonestar's expression remained neutral as he processed the information he was being told, but his eyes glittered with chaotic emotions. Sierrapaw felt her paws tingle with impatience. Finally the leader stood, flicking his ears at Steadystep and Fadedfur, who rose to their paws.

"We'll lead a patrol to the twoleg place at dawn," his voice rang across the camp. Excited murmurs rose from the gathered cats, but they fell silent as Stonestar signaled for silence.

"You two," he rounded on Sierrapaw and Bugpaw. They flinched. Sierrapaw's heart sank. Of course, it was too much to expect that they would go unpunished, whether they found the missing cats or not.

"You've disobeyed orders one too many times," he snarled. "If it weren't for this emergency, I would have you confined to camp for half a moon!"

Sierrapaw stared at her paws.

"But with things the way they are, we can't spare anyone." He sighed. "You'll be caring for the elders until the Gathering."

Sierrapaw pricked her ears. Would Stonestar ban her and Bugpaw from going to the Gathering? But he didn't. He turned to the rest of the Clan and gave orders for everyone to rest – they would need the energy for the following morning. Shuddering, Sierrapaw rose to her paws and cast a glance at Bugpaw. The little gray tabby was staring at her with wide eyes.

"We sure got off easy, didn't we?" she whispered as the two of them crossed the clearing, headed for the apprentice's den. "We even get to go save Sunriser and Spottedlilly tomorrow!"

Sierrapaw's claws ached with tiredness. She wasn't excited for the coming morning. As they passed Fadedfur's den, she caught sight of the medicine cat staring at the stars, looking unhappy.

_She doesn't like the thought of this upcoming mission any more than I do_, thought Sierrapaw. She reached the apprentice's den and lay down. Her exhausted mind gave up and before she could dwell on anything unpleasant any longer, she went to sleep.

* * *

Sierrapaw woke with a start. At first she thought she had slept late, but it was still early. The sky was still gray and the sun was just barely beginning to lighten the horizon, yet most of her Clanmates were already awake. Sierrapaw got up and trotted to the door where she could see her camp, teeming with life. The Clan was getting ready for their raid on the twolegplace. A couple patrols had already replenished the fresh-kill pile. Stonestar and the senior warriors were talking in the far corner of camp.

"Sierrapaw!"

Fiercepaw rushed up to her. She gave him a steady look, wondering if he was going to make a smart remark, but he was too excited for that.

"Stonestar says we're leaving at sunrise," he explained quickly. "We're supposed to be getting ready. Where are Stumblingpaw and Bugpaw? Are they still sleeping? Wake them up, will you?"

Without even waiting for her answer, Fiercepaw dashed away. Sierrapaw stepped back inside the den, shaking her head. _One good thing to be said about Fiercepaw,_ she thought. _He doesn't waste time._

She prodded Stumblingpaw and Bugpaw awake. As they reluctantly opened their eyes, she hurried out into the clearing. Everywhere the cats were getting ready for a fight. Cloudpaw and Bravepaw practiced fighting moves by the fresh-kill pile. _But what for? _wondered Sierrapaw. The mission was to rescue Sunriser and Spottedlilly, not attack anyone. And she doubted the classic fighting moves would be any good against a twoleg. Her heart sank. This was new territory the Clan was walking through. No one knew what to expect.

She chose a thrush from the fresh-kill pile and hastily swallowed it. There was no time to savor the greenleaf flavor. Fadedfur enlisted her help with some herbs.

"You don't think we'll actually need this?" asked Sierrapaw, prodding some marigold with her paw. She knew it was used to prevent infection.

"I hope we won't," said Fadedfur distantly. The creamy colored medicine cat was too preoccupied to speak, so the two of them worked in silence until Stonestar called the Clan together.

"Cats of ShadowClan!" yowled the leader. "We're going to be dividing into two groups. The first will be in charge of freeing the captured cats. The second will be protecting our backs and providing a distraction if a twoleg appears. Remember, we're not expecting trouble on this mission!" He gazed around the clearing for emphasis.

"What about the kittypets?" sounded Bugpaw's voice. Horror made Sierrapaw freeze. Of course! The kittypets! The rest of ShadowClan didn't know how dangerous the twoleg's cats were, and she had forgotten about them!

The rest of the Clan laughed.

"The kittypet's won't be much of a problem," dismissed Stonestar.

"No," protested Bugpaw, rising to her paws. "You haven't seen these kittypets. They're like a Clan of their own, and they're really dangerous!"

"Don't be a mouse-brain," growled Whiteriver.

"It's the truth!" protested Sierrapaw before she could stop herself. All the Clan turned to stare at her. She felt her ears burn. "They're not normal kittypets," she mewed softly. Beside her, Fiercepaw began to snicker.

"We'll take care of the kittypets when we get there," Stonestar meowed. His tone closed the subject, and he continued to list which cats went to which patrol. Sierrapaw was devastated. She pictured Manks in her head. Would the giant black cat back down when confronted by the large ShadowClan patrol? There were only eight kittypets, after all. Eight huge kittypets with claws long enough to slice a cat all the way through… She pushed the thought away.

The crowd began to disperse and Sierrapaw hurried to find Bugpaw.

"I wasn't listening," she panted when she met up with her ray tabby friend. "What group am I in?"

"We're in the first group. We're going to be the ones freeing Sunriser and Spottedlilly!" Though her tone was excited, Bugpaw's green eyes were apprehensive. Sierrapaw didn't have to wonder why.

"We're not looking for a fight. We'll probably be in and out of that place before the kittypets even know we're there." Sierrapaw comforted her friend.

"Ha!" Fiercepaw stalked past with a sneer. "Only cowards are afraid of kittypets."

Sierrapaw watched him go in dismay.

* * *

The cats ran stealthily through the forest, their paws skimming the peaty earth with practiced ease. Sierrapaw dodged a moss-covered rock and found herself running side-by-side with her mentor Foxwhisker. The warrior turned to her and smiled encouragingly.

"Do you remember all the fighting moves I taught you?" he meowed as they ran. She nodded.

"Hopefully you won't need them." He averted his gaze back to the path they were running.

She shrugged. "I will if we end up fighting those kittypets," she muttered, half to herself. Foxwhisker looked at her again.

"You really think they're a threat, don't you?" he mused. She didn't answer.

It didn't take long for them to reach the twoleg next. They slowed to a stop and separated. Steadystep instructed Sierrapaw and Bugpaw to lead the way. Cautiously, Sierrapaw stepped from the cover of the trees and into the open. A quick glance assured that there were no kittypets in sight. She dashed across the open ground and headed for the oddly shaped bush she and Bugpaw had used to get to the ledge on the side of the nest. She wriggled her haunches and leapt into the air. She landed lightly on the side of the bush and froze.

She was not alone on the bush.

Manks was sleeping, his huge black body taking up almost the entire surface. As she watched, unable to do anything but keep completely still, Manks sleepily opened his eyes, and then closed them. He inhaled deeply and stretched, unsheathing his claws. She stared at the claws, awestruck at their length and sharpness. With a jolt, she realized she had barely exaggerated when she thought his claws could slice a cat all the way through. A well-aimed blow from this cat would be lethal. For a moment time stopped while she waited to see if he would go back to sleep or not. After a moment his breathing deepened and he slept on. Sierrapaw breathed again. Now she would just have to get down without-

Suddenly the bush shook as Bugpaw launched herself up and missed her mark, grabbing the sides to keep from falling.

"Sierrapaw!" she complained. "What are you doing? Move, so I can get up!"

This time there was no hope of the large black cat going back to sleep. Manks's eyes shot opened, brilliant green. They turned murderous when he saw the two forest cats not even inches from him. He sat up slowly, baring his teeth and growling. His teeth were long, sharp and every bit as dangerous as his claws. Sierrapaw was frozen in shock. She heard Bugpaw gasp and drop to the ground below, but she couldn't make herself move. Manks glared at her and she felt like she was being pulled in by his gaze.

"Sierrapaw, move!" shouted a voice from below. She started and half-jumped, half-fell down to the ground. She couldn't get her paws beneath her in time to meet the ground, but fortunately Bugpaw was there to break her fall.

"Get off you hairball!" whined her friend, pushing Sierrapaw off.

"Sierrapaw, what happened up there?" demanded Foxwhisker anxiously. It had been his voice that woke her from her terror.

"M-Manks!" was all she managed to say.

"Who's Manks?" demanded Fiercepaw's voice from somewhere nearby. Sierrapaw didn't get a chance to answer because at that moment something large and black landed next to her. She and Bugpaw scrambled away and Sierrapaw heard Foxwhisker's intake of breath as he took in Manks's size. The black cat rounded on the forest cats, spitting furiously. Foxwhisker growled in response and crouched down, getting ready to spring. Sierrapaw was horrorstruck. Manks was twice as big as him! Fortunately Steadystep raced to stand by his Clanmates right then, the rest of the first patrol following. Manks hesitated. Sierrapaw caught a glimpse of Stonestar with the other patrol, still waiting in the trees.

The Clan cats snarled as they faced off with Manks. The giant black cat had abandoned his aggressive stance and was now sitting calmly, watching the Clan cats through narrowed eyes. Steadystep slunk forward and Manks's gaze shifted to him.

"We won't hurt you," meowed the deputy. "If you let us pass."

"You're not welcome here," meowed Manks with the faintest hint of a snarl. "Go back your forest. You're not coming through."

The fur on the deputy's neck stood on end. Surprised hisses broke from the rest of the Clan cats, but Manks stood his ground, calm as ever, even though he was outnumbered hopelessly. Then Sierrapaw spotted movement. The wide yellow-green eyes of Boneleg peered from the corner of the house, joined by Jackie's and Raja's. Then they disappeared, and Sierrapaw knew they were going to get the others. She glanced at Bugpaw, who stared back at her. They were both thinking the same thing. Including the other patrol hidden in the woods, the Clan only had nine cats. They could beat the kittypets, but not without serious cost.

* * *


	7. Changes

**Welcome back! A big thanks to my two reviewers, Dragontama9511 and Nightclaw. Nightclaw raised a very good question: How big are the kittypets compared to the clan cats? **

**The kittypets are only as big as Tigerclaw and Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost in the books, with a lot of bulk and muscule. They're well cared for and fed all year long and so they seem immpossibly large compared to the Clan cats, even though they're growing plump on the greenleaf prey. Oh, and I actually have measured Manks's claws at a little less than half an inch. Scary, no?**

**With that piece said, enjoy the newest chapter!**

The Clan cats padded through the forest, subdued. Shock shone in their eyes. Their tails dragged against the ground. There was no sign of their ShadowClan pride. As they entered the camp, Petitefire ran up to them.

"Did you…" her voice trailed off. The answer to her question was all too obvious in their postures.

"What happened?" demanded Smallstream, looking anxious. "Did the twolegs chase you out?"

"Bugpaw was right!" wailed Tumbleweed suddenly. "Those kittypets… We should have listened."

The cats that had stayed behind to guard the camp began to inch forward, gathering around the cats that had led the patrols.

"Don't be ridiculous," growled Fiercepaw. "It was the twoleg who stood between us and the nest, not the kittypets! We could have taken them on!"

"Those kittypets fetched the twoleg!" whispered Tumbleweed.

It was true. Bugpaw closed her eyes and remembered. Only four other cats had joined Manks. Bugpaw was beginning to think that they may be able to save her mentor after all, but then Jackie had rounded the corner, yowling, a twoleg right behind her. At first Bugpaw thought the twoleg had been chasing Jackie, but the young black cat had stopped and pressed herself against Boneleg, and the twoleg passed right by, heading straight for the Clan cats! The twoleg landed mere inches from Steadystep. What could they do? Bugpaw and the others had no choice. They ran, but Bugpaw had caught a glimpse of the look on Manks's face. He watched the Clan go with a satisfied twitch of his whiskers. He had known the twoleg would come all along!

* * *

The next day Bugpaw followed Darkscar and Shortwhisker on a patrol to the ThunderClan border. The older warriors started refreshing the border markers, while Bugpaw went ahead. She sniffed the border. The ThunderClan markers were fresh. They had just missed a patrol, she guessed. She looked up into ThunderClan territory. Did her rival Clans have the same problems as ShadowClan? Were any of their warriors missing? She shuddered to think that ShadowClan was the only Clan under attack by the twolegs.

The two toms joined Bugpaw and they turned towards camp, casting a wary glance around as they did so.

_How did the twolegs capture Sunriser and Spottedlilly, anyway?_ wondered Bugpaw. Had they crept up on them and grabbed them? Of course not, twolegs didn't creep! She tried to imagine how else the twolegs could do it. And then she paused. The ThunderClan scent hadn't faded, though they were far from the border now. Bugpaw put her nose close to a fern plant and sniffed.

"Darkscar!" she gasped. "There are ThunderClan cats on our territory! They came this way!"

Both toms stopped. Shortwhisker scented the air. "They're heading for camp!" he growled.

They ran towards camp. Bugpaw's long legs carried her faster than the two warriors, and she burst into camp before her Clanmates. She blinked. The ThunderClan medicine cat, Littlewing and his leader, Quickstar, were standing in camp, talking to Stonestar.

"I knew we smelled ThunderClan," growled Darkscar, glaring at the ThunderClan cats. Bugpaw felt irritation prickle her spine. Darkscar made it sound like he had been the one to scent the intruders! But she ignored it. Sierrapaw slunk over to the patrol, her lovely green eyes dark with worry.

"They've come to talk to Stonestar," she said in a hushed tone. "They've lost cats, too."

"You can't trust ThunderClan cats," growled Darkscar, loud enough for the whole camp to hear. "Not one mouselength."

On the other side of camp, Quickstar met Darkscar's gaze without flinching. Stonestar meowed something and the three of them padded to Fadedfur's den to talk. The ShadowClan cats began whispering as soon as they were out of sight. Sierrapaw beckoned with her tail and Bugpaw followed her to the fresh-kill pile.

"Have the elders been fed?" asked Bugpaw when Sierrapaw picked up a thrush. The tan she-cat nodded. "Fiercepaw's taking them something now," she meowed.

"When did the ThunderClan cats arrive?" Bugpaw chose a plump mouse to eat.

"Just before you guys," replied Sierrapaw. "At first they seemed to think that ShadowClan had something to do with their warrior's disappearances… I hope Stonestar's setting them straight."

"More than that, I hope they see sense!" growled Fiercepaw, making Bugpaw jump. He dropped a mouse next to them and paused, looking from one she-cat to the other.

"Erm… well, can I eat with you guys?" he asked.

"Oh… sure," mewed Sierrapaw, sounding rather bewildered. Bugpaw just shrugged. Fiercepaw crouched down and began to munch, and for a few minutes the three apprentices shared a meal in comfortable silence.

"Good thing the twolegs haven't scared away _much _of the prey," mused Bugpaw when she had finished eating. She licked her paw and began cleaning her whiskers, wondering what Stonestar was talking to the ThunderClan cats about.

At that moment a crashing noise sounded from just outside the camp. Foxwhisker burst in the entrance, his eyes wide.

"Where's Stonestar?" he meowed breathlessly.

"In Fadedfur's den, talking to the ThunderClan cats," meowed Sierrapaw, rising to her paws. The reddish colored tom gazed blankly at Sierrapaw.

"ThunderClan cats?" he echoed. Bugpaw caught a whiff of twoleg scent. Had Foxwhisker been by the twoleg nest?

"Yes," she mewed, padding up to her mentor. "Foxwhisker, what happened?"

At that moment, another cat padded into the ShadowClan camp. Bugpaw heard a collective gasp from all the cats who had gathered. The tortoiseshell-and-white cat strode up to stand next to Foxwhisker. Her coat gleamed in the sunlight, and her amber eyes were filled with relief.

It was Spottedlilly, escaped from the twolegs.

Bugpaw was stunned. The gorgeous she-cat looked almost exactly as she had when she had been captured. Bugpaw wasn't sure what she expected, but it was almost like Spottedlilly hadn't left at all! Then another cat slid through the entrance. Bugpaw squealed.

"Sunriser!" she cried, flinging herself across the clearing towards her mentor. She stopped a few feet from him, unsure if he was okay or not. Last time she saw him, he had barely been able to stand. But now he purred.

"Bugpaw!" he meowed. "It sure is good to see you!"

Bugpaw padded over and buried her muzzle in his soft fur. The scent of twolegs still clung to him, and under that, the sickly smell that made Bugpaw's stomach turn. She pulled away and gazed into Sunriser's eyes. They were the same, yet… different. Bugpaw felt unease prick her paws. Sunriser was back, but he was changed.

"What's going on?" Stonestar had joined the rest of ShadowClan in the clearing. He saw Spottedlilly and stopped in his tracks. The rest of Foxwhisker's patrol had arrived, and for some reason a young ThunderClan she was with them.

"Goldenpaw!" gasped Quickstar when he saw her. Her face showed relief when she saw him.

"She was with the others," reported Smallstream, nudging the ThunderClan cat.

"She was one of our missing cats," said Quickstar.

"I don't understand," meowed Whiteriver, touching his nose to Spottedlilly's. "How did you get away?"

"They let us go!" replied the she-cat. Bugpaw shared a glance with Sierrapaw as the Clan broke out into mutterings.

"We saw it happen!" meowed Foxwhisker. "We were patrolling a safe distance from the twoleg nest when they came trampling through the forest with these large shiny dens. They set the dens on the ground and unfolded part of them and these guys came out!" He indicated the rescued cats with his tail. "And then the twolegs left."

A stunned silence greeted this revelation.

"So, what's the point of taking them at all?" demanded Fiercepaw, bristling angrily.

"What does it matter?" hissed Fadedfur softly, pressing forward to reach the returned cats. She sniffed them warily and Bugpaw thought she saw a flash of apprehension in her eyes. She looked at Sunriser. Her mentor's usual smile was absent, and his eyes were dull. She shivered. Could Fadedfur fix whatever damage had been done to her friends?

"Come on, you two," she meowed, leading them to her den. She hesitated, looking at Goldenpaw.

"She'll be coming home with us," mewed Littlewing quietly. The apprentice looked relieved as her Clanmates joined her. She shrank against Quickstar, and almost disappeared. Their pelt colors were exactly the same. _She must be his daughter_, thought Bugpaw.

Quickstar paused as he was leaving and looked back at Stonestar. The ShadowClan leader's face was expressionless, but he nodded to Quickstar. The pale orange cat's eyes narrowed and he nodded back. Then they left.

"Shouldn't we send a patrol to make sure they get off our territory?" growled Darkscar, glaring after the ThunderClan cats. Foxwhisker snarled.

"Do you really think they'll be attacking us in the state they're in? Not all their cats have been returned, you know!" he growled.

"How do you know?" meowed Sierrapaw, sounding puzzled. Foxwhisker flinched. "Quickstar said that Goldenpaw was only one of their missing cats," he mumbled.

"Bugpaw!"

Bugpaw looked up at the sound of Fadedfur's voice. "Fetch Spottedlilly and Sunriser some fresh-kill!" The medicine cat turned and disappeared back in her den. Bugpaw trotted across the clearing to the fresh-kill pile.

"Stonestar, are we going to let Sunriser and Spottedlilly stay?" meowed Petitefire. Bugpaw froze.

"What do you mean?" Sierrapaw sounded horrified. "They're our Clanmates!"

"Didn't you smell them?" snorted the short-legged calico. "They've changed. The twolegs have done something to them. They're not the same cats they were!"

"How dare you!" Whiteriver launched himself at Petitefire, but Stonestar intercepted, knocking Whiteriver out of the air with a flick of his paw.

"Enough!" growled the gray-black cat. Whiteriver hissed, but didn't look at Stonestar.

"There will be no more talk on this subject," commanded Stonestar. "Now, I want a patrol on the ThunderClan border and a hunting patrol out, now. Steadystep, will you see to that?"

Without waiting for an answer, Stonestar strode to Fadedfur's den. Bugpaw sat crouched at the fresh-kill pile, shocked. Surely the Clan wouldn't kick out Sunriser and Spottedlilly? She remembered the sweet, sweet smell coming from the newly returned cats and shuddered.

"Bugpaw!" yowled Fadedfur. Quickly she picked out a water vole and a plump mouse. She paused and grabbed a frog as well, remembering that they were Sunriser's favorite. But even as she strode across the clearing with her tail held high, Bugpaw felt a sinking sensation, sensing that the twolegs had done more to the missing warriors then hold them captive…

**-Bribes reviewers with Sunriser shaped lollipops- **


End file.
